


Weird Science [DISCONTINUED 3/06/20]

by BennyGeckoOfficial (orphan_account)



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: 5000 movie cliches, F/M, GDCU (good dads cinematic universe), M/M, Slow burn perhaps, cliche romantic movie stuff, fellow membrane lover, im not good at slow burn but ive lasted 4 chapters in my other fic without romance so, im not sorry, let's go, membrane is a good dad, my second IZ x reader fic, no beta so try me, reader has no gender, really good dad, shoutout to my buddy rai, shrug!, this is gonna start out as like, this one will definitely contain some doin the do w membrane, um ok so tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-04 18:47:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21202343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/BennyGeckoOfficial
Summary: You're just trying to live your best life. You've been applying for jobs, getting denial emails every single day, landing one or two interviews at times... but it never feels like enough. Not that you care. You aren't trying to live up to anybody's standards.You don't know who Professor Membrane is, so when he stands next to you on the bus, and everyone starts talking in a hushed tone and looking at the two of you, you're confused. You're very confused. This dude doesn't look like much. He's got weird hair and is in full lab gear. So why are these people like this?!A quick Google search of the name you heard whispered after you got off at your stop has you confused. That dork is an internationally renowned scientist? But the conversation you just had on the bus... he's just some huge dweeb.Featuring about five million romantic movie cliches you would never ask for.PERMANENTLY DISCONTINUED





	1. Give 'Em Hell, Kid

**Author's Note:**

> my second try at an x reader fic since 2015, and this one is more feel-good than my zim/reader one. thank you to my buddy Rai for help choosing the song for the title.  
this is gonna be like every romantic movie ever and you'll either hate or love it, but reader is fucking over it 99.9% of the time.  
you're gonna fuck membrane, this is your warning rn, this work will have smut, reader has a pussy, but no gendered pronouns or terms are used.  
every chapter title is gonna be a classic rock song title, try me (this one is MCR just so you are warned about the sort of person i am)  
my tumblr is lowdown-cheap-little-punk.tumblr.com find me there, ask me questions, give me ideas  
thanks

The leaves were falling gently, colored shades of red and orange. This was your favorite time of the year, really. No longer summer, thank fuck. And it was just a little chilly, meaning you could wear your hoodies, snuggle up with some hot chocolate, and watch Halloween movies. You did this all alone, and you liked it that way. You were usually around people all day. Job interviews were crowded with other applicants, stores were busy all the damn time, but the worst thing... the _worst _thing?

That would be public transit. The bus. You were unemployed and you weren't a _billionaire_, you couldn't afford a taxi _all _the time. Or really _ever_. What were you, made of money? Sometimes you just ate uncooked blocks of instant ramen just to feel something. You were a bit of a mess, that was for sure. Did you care? No, absolutely not. This was just your life. The _bus _though, the bus was awful. You were crammed in one place with sweaty, smelly strangers, and crying babies, and people who wouldn't take a hint when you wanted them to _stop fucking talking to you_. You were an introvert, to put it lightly. You were like a turtle retreated into its shell, except the turtle is you and the shell is your front door with five different locks on it, and the pizza man that you're yelling at to just leave the pizza at the door is... well, he's not part of that analogy. But Ross is still a cool guy. You tip him well, he leaves the pizza at the door, and sometimes he writes a joke on the inside of the box. It's a very mutually beneficial relationship. You call to order the pizza, Ross says 'hey, man', you don't even have to give your order because bless that kid, he has it memorized, and thirty minutes later it's outside your door. Ross was the closest person you had to a friend, and you gained something from the relationship.

Maybe your introversion was a problem. Maybe it wasn't, who knew? You didn't care, either way. Regardless, you needed a job. And you needed a job soon. Your parents were done supporting you, and you had bills upon bills upon bills to pay. 

So today, you were dressed in a nice suit. Your _only _nice suit. You were carrying some sort of homemade pumpkin spice drink (and no, you were not basic for drinking it, that was a standard society simply forced upon you) and you were even carrying your nice bag today, with your keys, wallet, ID... anything you may need. Medications, extra charger, you were _set_. You had a system, and it worked. 

The suit you were wearing was grey - black seemed too professional, tan seemed too casual. You overthought things like this all the time. But with your hair neat, and your suit recently pressed, you were honestly looking great.

Much too great to be hopping onto this scrap metal that the city called a bus, scanning your bus pass, and grabbing onto one of the free handrails. There were free seats, but those were next to people. You weren't doing that. No, hell no. You trusted nobody on this damn bus. It was only a twenty minute ride, you reassured yourself. You'd stay on your phone, ignore people, and get off where you needed to.  
Ten minutes into the ride, at a stop, you were suddenly aware of a gloved hand holding onto the same rail you were holding onto, now standing close to you. You hadn't even noticed him board the bus. You finally looked up to see the man who was in front of you. He was _tall_. Dear god, he was tall. He was dressed in a labcoat, and the collar covered his mouth. He had on gloves, and goggles, and his hair looked like an extra limb, possibly sentient. He noticed you looking and offered you a happy expression, you could only assume he was smiling under that collar. As he looked at you, people all around the bus started talking to each other in hushed tones. This was the most social you'd seen the occupants of said bus.

You caught a few of the phrases they were muttering -

_"Professor Membrane,"_

_"Membrane Labs,"_

_"Why is he on the bus?"_

_"Does he know them?"_

You ignored them, mostly, but remembered the 'Membrane' part. May be useful for later.

The man finally spoke up to you, breaking you from your little trance.

"Do you often ride on this? I must admit, it has been many years since I've had to use public transportation, but my car broke down."

"What a shame for you." You replied, a bit bluntly, and you adjusted your grip on the metal bar.  
"My car's been broken down for three years, buddy. It's a junk heap." You laughed dryly, but stopped when you saw the stares you were getting. What was _with _these people? So many people were assholes on the bus. What, you couldn't make a snide comment to this weird labcoat guy?

He stammered a moment, before he cleared his throat, and spoke again.  
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that. I did not mean to compare our situations, I'm simply... a fish out of water, shall we say?"

"No kidding." You groaned, rolling your eyes.  
"Listen, goggles-" Who the hell wore goggles in their day-to-day life?  
"Goggles. The first rule of this bus thing? We don't really chit-chat. We aren't buddies. We endure each other's presence for a short while, and we part ways. That's it."

This actually elicited a hearty laugh from the man. Why was he laughing? Did he think this was funny?  
"Ah, I see. You're not really a people person, are you? It's alright. I will not hold that against you. You're dressed nice, I can only assume you have somewhere important to be."

"Yes, actually." You straightened your posture, huffing.  
"I have a job interview."  
You heard the bus come to a stop, and looked out the window.  
"And it appears to be my stop. So, have a nice day. Don't chat up strangers on the bus."  
You exited gracefully and got going to the building where your interview would be taking place.

\--

_"We just don't have any openings right now that would be right for you."_

So, they found someone better. You were a lovely mix of frustration, sadness, and panic leaving that building. Now you had to wait for the bus, and get home, and live the rest of your day.

...No, actually. Fuck it! You deserved a little something for your trouble. You'd go get some pizza. Not just order pizza, you'd eat in the place, and you'd rant to Ross, and everything would be fine and dandy!

Luckily, you didn't need to take a bus to the pizza joint. On your way, you searched that name on Google. _'Membrane Labs'._

...and there was that guy. Goggles. Holding awards, giving speeches. Further investigation showed who exactly he was - Professor Membrane, world-renowned scientist.   
You had talked absolute shit to a world-renowned scientist. And honestly? You were smiling big about it. Fuck yeah, you'd been given a chance to stick it to the man, even if you had no idea you were doing it at the time. Fuck yeah, _fuck yeah!_

And you' never have to see him again, which calmed your anxiety, because holy shit he would probably be furious with you and try to sue you or something and now you were spiraling because you've pissed off one of the most powerful men in the country and oh fuck-

You took a few deep breaths before opening the door to your favorite pizza joint. Not Bloaty's, ew. No, this was more of a mom-and-pop place, and it was the best fucking pizza you'd ever had. A few people were seated at tables chatting, but you paid them no mind, heading straight to the counter and ringing the bell that was on it. And, lo and behold, your buddy Ross headed up to the counter from the kitchen.  
"Well, well, well. Somebody decided to pay me a visit." He grinned.  
"So I guess I can only assume how the interview went."

"Yeah, yeah. It was shitty." You waved your hand dismissively.  
"I want the usual. Extra of that special sauce you guys make on the side. Add an order of breadsticks."

"Eating away your sorrows again?" Ross' smile faded, and he started to punch a few things into the screen in front of him.  
"Thought your therapist talked with you about that one."

"Well, unless my therapist is gonna offer to pay for a more 'healthy' meal, I think this is my choice." Finally a small smile on your face, and you fished through your purse. Wallet, wallet-  
Christ. Really?! After the day you'd had...  
"Ugh. You don't happen to have my card on file, do you?"

"Left your wallet at home?" Ross looked a bit concerned now. You never forgot those things.

"No, I had it this morning. I was able to pay for the bus. I just- must've lost it at the interview or something."  
You could feel the panic attack coming on. You'd have to go to the place that just _rejected _you and pathetically ask if you'd left your wallet there. So any chances you had of ever getting a job there if a position opened up? Null. Zero.  
  
Fuck today. Fuck today, _fuck today, **fuck today-**_

"I understand 'chit chat' is not appropriate on the bus. What about in a dining area?"

That voice-  
You turned around quickly and, sure enough, Professor Membrane was standing behind you, what you assumed to be a happy expression on his face.

"What are you doing here?" You asked- though your tone wasn't angry this time. You were genuinely curious what this presumably rich guy was doing at a pizza place.

He nodded over to a table, and when you looked, you saw a purple-haired child and a child with hair similar to Membrane's sitting, enjoying a large pizza that seemed to be split between the three of them.  
"They wanted to try something new. They seem to really like this place, which is great. I do enjoy having a new restaurant to add to the rotation of places we go on family dinner nights. Which is now about five, and three of those are pizzerias." He looked rather sheepish at the comment, and then it occurred to you he was holding something out to you. An old black wallet. _Your _old black wallet.  
"It fell out of your bag when you hurried off of the bus. I wasn't able to get it to you before the doors closed. I was just going to give it to the transit authority office, but it seems I no longer have to."

Your face lit up, and for once you were able to speak to this man with joy in your voice, not malice.  
"Oh my god! Thank you, thank you! You're a lifesaver!"  
You took the wallet from him, and turned to pay, but you were stopped by a gloved hand on your shoulder. Professor Membrane held some cash out to Ross, who took it, a little confused.

"Bring their food to our table, would you? And please, keep the change."

"O-Of course, sir! Thank you, sir!" This was at least a twenty dollar tip. Ross had stars in his eyes.

You tried to protest, turning to Membrane, "You didn't need to-"

"I overheard how your interview went, and I am terribly sorry. Please, it's my treat. It is the least I can do." He looked genuine, and turned to return to his table.  
"Feel free to join us when you are ready."

Membrane stepped back to his table with his children, and you turned to Ross, bewildered. 

"You know Professor Membrane-?!" He managed to get out, shaking his head, "How? Where?!"

"I don't _know _him. And keep your voice down, I don't think anyone on Mars quite heard you!" You hissed, lowering your voice.  
"We met on the bus, he tried to talk to me, and I was an asshole. Alright? And he's being really nice to me and I don't know why-!"  
  
"Well, go on, then! I'll bring your food out soon. Go make friends!" Ross shooed you away, retreating into the kitchen before you could protest. You sighed, and turned, heading to Membrane's table. He let you sit down with a happy wave. He introduced the children - the purple-haired child was his daughter, Gaz, and the child with hair like his was his son, Dib. You greeted them nervously, and you could tell they were a bit confused. Membrane excused himself to make a call, and the children were immediately asking you questions.

"How did you get him to invite you here? He doesn't go out with people who aren't family!" Dib was looking at you curiously.

Gaz narrowed her eyes, "Did you bribe him?"

"W-What?" You gulped, and held your hands up in defense.  
"No! I met him on the bus, and he had my wallet! And he bought me dinner- that's it!"

Dib sat back down completely, and Gaz just smirked, crossing her arms. Dad didn't usually introduce strangers as 'wonderful people' who he'd 'love them to meet'. He actively avoided many people he'd met once or twice, not wanting to begin a friendship he couldn't follow through with.

Membrane didn't quite know what was going through his head, either, but when he returned and saw you digging into your pizza and breadsticks with his kids, he couldn't help but smile, and he felt his heart melt.

After thanking him a final time, you left. But not before he gave you his card, with his number, just in case. 

You didn't think you'd call him. You were from two very different walks of life, and he certainly didn't need friends. But hey... you had it. Just in case.

You took the bus home, and plopped down on your creaky bed. You glanced at your phone.

That wasn't how you planned your day to go...

But it wouldn't happen again. Right?


	2. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's seven o'clock and I wanna rock,  
Wanna get a belly full of beer."  
It's the weekend, finally, and Saturdays are your favorites. You wind down Friday, have a good time Saturday, and then Sunday is filled with existential dread about the week to come.  
You end up in a bar, drinking, dancing, laughing.  
Of course, an esteemed scientist wouldn't be caught dead here. Only if this way a romantic movie.  
God. Damn. It.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so let me explain-  
this was supposed to be out the day before halloween. i got busy.  
then it was supposed to come out on halloween. that didn't happen.  
then the day after, i was writing it, and the power and wifi went out for about 15 hours and i lost what i had.  
so now, finally, i am doing this. remember all those times i told you there would be a chapter 'today' or 'tomorrow'? because i'm sure trying not to.  
wow tho the response to this fic has been amazing, thank you all so much for your support!! as always i do accept requests/recommendations and whatnot on my tumblr! (lowdown-cheap-little-punk.tumblr.com)  
hey check out my good friend's commissions! they're the inspiration for the title of this fic, and the inspiration for Akira in this chapter!  
https://lowdown-cheap-little-punk.tumblr.com/post/188677829351/so  
hope you enjoy!  
(titles on the backburner for more emotional chapters that i considered for this one, but i wanted this one to be lighter  
\- Rocket Man  
\- Loser  
\- Hotel California)

"And _so-_"

With a long sigh, you quickly began to finish up your story of the day prior. You were at a local independently-owned coffee shop near your apartment. You soon learned the barista, Akira, was also the owner, and took care of most of the duties by himself. Akira was, to put it gently, cool as _fuck_. Despite being a business owner, he maintained an image many would find "unprofessional", but you adored. Spiky collars and bracelets, dark makeup, dark clothes, piercings - Akira was the epitome of a goth person who could actually adult, and you admired that. Though he did give you flashbacks to your MCR phase, but you were beginning to learn how to push those down until they went away.

"He bought me pizza, we talked a while, I went home and existed for like fifteen minutes before I went to bed." You took your coffee cup as he sat it on the counter, "I will now open the floor for comments and criticism."

"You fucking idiot." He simply replied, shaking his head, and he let out a chuckle.  
"You absolute fucking _idiot_. I know you haven't lived here all your life like most people, so I'll give you the pass on not knowing Professor Membrane. But you were actively a total asshole to him after you knew he was important, and had money. What the hell, man? You're not an asshole. You've tried to convince me you were, but I saw past that shit real easy. Why do you want people to think you're such a prick?"

You groaned. You didn't want to get into that right now - and you didn't think Akira wanted you to, yet, he just wanted you to think on it. It was a valid question. You'd been venomous to every new person you'd met since moving here. Akira has quickly told you to cut the shit and stop acting like you were a big deal, and Ross had simply smiled through it until you found yourself incapable of being a douche to that absolute teddy bear. They both tried to push you out of your comfort zone. In fact, you despised leaving your apartment at all. It put you on-edge. They both forced you to see them every other day at their jobs, though, bribing you with free food and coffee. So at least every other day, you left the comfort of your cluttered apartment. Tonight, though, you were just fine with going out. Because you were going to be drunk in a few hours. So, so very _drunk._ You'd be mingling with strangers you wouldn't ever see again, and for once, you wouldn't hate it.

Because you. Would. Be. _**Drunk.**_

"Shit- alright." 

You glanced at your phone.

"Party's over. I gotta dash." It was about time for you to run to yet another interview. You didn't have high hopes for this one at all, but you still felt obligated to try. Rent would be due in a week or two. You needed to be able to afford it next month. You could this time, thanks to a few favors - but you didn't want anyone to bail you out of it next time. 

"Well, be careful tonight. Call me if you can't drive. Use protection. You know the deal- I don't have to ramble to you again." Akira shrugged and went to cleaning some supplies.

"I know, I know. Thanks, man. Catch you on the flip side."

You gathered up your things, and you left the coffee shop to catch your usual bus. You were relieved to see nobody familiar on there.

\--

You bombed the interview, and you didn't even care. You went home, took a nap, and then you put on your favorite outfit to wake up with a hangover in. You gathered your things and headed out.

The bar was a very new one. Not like many of the bars in the city, which were old-fashioned and catered to more middle-aged folk. You actually despised bars like this one. They were loud, with flashing lights and blaring music, and they were crowded. However, you subjected yourself to such a thing, because the people there were more fun to talk with then the grouchy dads when you were drunk.

You flashed ID and entered, immediately wincing as the colored lights hit you and the loud music pierced your eardrums. It was ok. It was alright. Just walk up to the bar and order something. It was ok.

You nervously stepped up to the bar and ordered a few drinks, letting the bartender open your tab, as per usual. You weren't sure how you remembered to pay it every night before going home. You were forgetful _sober._ But your drinks were swiftly delivered and you started on them. Thankfully, you were the only 'regular' here, so you never saw anyone you knew. It was nice knowing you could talk to people and spill your life story, and then never have to talk to them ever again.

A few minutes later, you were giggly and feeling good, and you were dancing next to some stranger with green hair. He was rambling on about something with his job, and you were just nodding and laughing in reply. You didn't take this information in at all. You really didn't care - and you knew when you rambled about your life _they_ didn't care. But it was still an ear to talk off. So... everything was fine, it seemed.

Until you actually listened to a part of what this man was saying.

"Yeah, so- I work at that Membrane Labs place. Membrane himself brought all us interns here for the night. How cool is that? Didn't know the geek had it in him-"

Your heart stopped. No. _No, _there was no way Membrane was actually here. You thought you'd scanned the room completely, and you'd know him when you saw him!

You missed a few words in your panic, and when you tuned back in, he was still talking - "-hanging in the private room. You know, the one that costs like, a fuuuuuckton of money to get into?"

"I-"  
You gulped. No way, no way, no way. You went into fight-or-flight mode and quickly pushed your way out of the crowd. The bathrooms - those were a safe place, right? You stumbled, maybe you'd had one too many. You made your way there, though -

And of course, a certain someone was making his way to the bar at the same time.

No, no, _nononono-_

The panic in your chest only grew, and you could feel an attack coming on. Your breathing quickened, and you tried to swerve him. But you stumbled, and ended up running right into his chest. He didn't fall over, of course, and just looked down at you.

"Oh-! It's you again." He smiled, chuckling softly.  
"I apologize we have to keep meeting in the strangest of places. I- know this is not my usual-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed your panicked expression.

"...Are you quite alright?"

No, _no, _you were not alright. You were never supposed to see this man again. This wasn't supposed to _happen- _You felt yourself tearing up and you hated it. You didn't cry. You never cried.

Membrane waited for a reply and, realizing there would be none, gently took your arm.

"Come on. Let's get you some air."

Before you could protest he gently dragged you out the door. The cool air hit you and you felt yourself calm just a bit, though you were still panicked. 

There was a long pause, before Membrane spoke.

"What had you so panicked?"

You just stared down at your feet. How did you explain to him that _he _was the reason you'd panicked? How were you supposed to dive into why you did not like seeing people for a second time- no, this was the third time! You were shaking. It was chilly out. The cold was nice for calming down, but you were shivering now. Membrane looked at you and frowned.

"You're shivering."

You nodded slowly, and before you could respond, his giant labcoat was over your shoulders. He didn't often take it off. In fact, in your research, you'd seen no pictures of him without his goggles and labcoat. All of that mostly covered his face - you had no idea what his face looked like. You jumped a little when the coat was placed on you. And, out of curiosity, you looked over at the man.

He was... _wow. _Black hair, obviously, and some black scruff on his chin. He must be busy a lot - shaving probably wasn't a concern.

And, for some reason, he'd slid his goggles up to his forehead. He wanted to get a better look at you, be able to more effectively calm you.

His eyes were beautiful. A beautiful brown color, and now that you could finally see his full face, you could see his smile. It was the dorkiest, sweetest smile ever. You loved it. It didn't last for long though, as he repeated his question from before.

"What had you so panicked?"

You had to think a moment. Maybe you should just... tell the truth. He'd see through any lies.

"Someone told me you were here. I was going to hide in the bathroom." Your voice was quiet. You thought you sounded absolutely pathetic.

"Are you..." He actually seemed shocked, for once.  
"...Are you afraid of me?"

You were immediately shaking your head, stuttering, trying to explain.  
"N-No! Not at a-all. I just- I just... Am not good with having people in my life. I prefer to meet someone once and never talk to them again. Y-You know? S-So... I've run into you t-three times-"  
You were at least starting to calm down, explaining.  
"And it's... scary. It is terrifying."

Membrane paused before nodding, and he took ahold of your hand, making you tense up. But... It was nice. It was really nice.

"I understand this must be scary for you. It is not my intention to scare you."

Looking back at him, you got a closer look at the bottom half of his face. It was covered in jagged scars. Is that why he always wore something over it?

But he was here, with you. Vulnerable. He was willing to let you see that.

"...I know."  
You replied.  
"...Maybe it is time I... I allow myself to meet some new people."

"Speaking of-"  
Membrane smirked.  
"I... well, your wallet had your ID in it, so I do know your name. But it's more polite to ask."

That got a smile and a laugh out of you, and you told him your name, introducing yourself like you'd never met before. You were slowly coming down from the panic, and you hugged the labcoat closer to yourself. It was warm, and for some reason made you feel very comfortable.

"I-"

You sighed.

"I should go in and pay my tab, and hail a taxi home. But- um..."  
You didn't want to say it, but you actually meant it.  
"It was nice to see you again."

"You, as well."  
Membrane nodded as you handed back his coat, and he put it on, pushing down his goggles. He was back to looking like his usual self.  
"Oh-"  
He handed you a card.  
"I'm not sure if I gave you one before..."

"You did. I just, um-"

He cut you off.  
"I understand. But... please, do call me."

"Wait-"  
You scrambled through your bag to find a pen, and you turned over the card. You scribbled down your number, handing it to him.  
"There. Just in case I get too nervous to call, again."

Membrane smiled and nodded, staring at the number as you went in and paid your tab.

The taxi drive home was strange. You weren't sure what had just happened. You kind of liked it, but...  
You didn't know yet.

You were settling into bed, when your phone buzzed. A text. Unknown number. What was this about...?

[UNKNOWN NUMBER : 1:17 A.M.]  
[This is Professor Membrane. I apologize for the intrusion this late at night. I need you to come to my lab tomorrow morning. I will send you the coordinates. I would not call this an emergency, but it is very important.]

You groaned. What was this about? You set an alarm for 10 in the morning before texting back.

[YOU : 1:23 A.M.]  
[aite. gn. sweet memes.]

Membrane didn't know what that meant, but he just hoped you'd show up tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for ur patience!! i have a lot of muse for this next chapter but i can make no promises on when it'll be out lol


	3. Loving the Alien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Believing the strangest things.  
Membrane pleads with you to come to a gala with him. You're a fish out of water. You haven't been to an event like this in... well. You haven't been to one of these, ever. You make friends with one of Membrane's lab assistants, who is hiding a massive secret. This is a secret Dib is already investigating... for once, maybe the kid was going somewhere with this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha i need to write more chapters more often im sorry,,,, guh  
find me on tumblr you know how it is benny-gecko-official.tumblr.com  
so the assistant you're gonna meet is my invader zim oc, liz ito, who i will post more about if y'all are interested. i wanted an excuse to throw her in here.  
(loving the alien applies to both membrane having a kinda-crush which is foreign to him, and also liz. yeah. lmao. liz.)(liz isn't dating zim you'll be introduced to another oc at some point in this fic lol)

_I need you to come with me to a gala. It is essential that I have a 'date'._

  
You read over the text over and over again. Professor Membrane wanted you to show up to a gala, where there would be other high-ranking scientists, as his date. You asked if there was some way he could bring an assistant - at least they'd know a bit about science - but he insisted that he had an assistant coming with him, and she was just a friend. She was only 19, and... well, Membrane described her as a 'wild card'. You weren't sure what that meant, but it was best not to question it. You'd just agreed and he'd sent you some money for an outfit... and when you saw the amount he'd sent you, your eyes widened. This much fucking money, on _an outfit?!_ For **_one night??_** How surreal. You couldn't remember the last time you'd had this much money in your bank account.

Ross had excitedly agreed to go shopping with you, and he was looking through outfits in colors Membrane recommended. Simple colors, he'd said. Nothing 'too hard on the eyes'. 

"Ugh. 'Too hard on the eyes'."  
You groaned as he pulled another outfit off of a rack. You'd never been in this store before. It was... fancy. Way too fancy for the likes of you two, but hey, you were here, weren't you? You wanted something fitted. It seemed that nobody wanted help you on such short notice though.  
"What the fuck does that even mean?"

"I know what it means." Ross hummed, pulling a light blue affair off of another rack, "And maybe you would if you cared about what you wore, but we're standing in a store full of fancy clothes and you're in a My Chemical Romance hoodie." He grinned at you, and you just shot him a look. He laughed.  
"Look, we've got five now. That's enough, right? You can go try them on."

You sighed, looking at your feet. You didn't want to try them on. They were all awful and offered the vaguest form of movement in them. You wanted your legs to be free, like a fucking bird, not squished together all night like they were in a sausage casing.   
"Ross, these are nice and all, but they're..."  
You trailed off, waiting for a reply. No response. You looked up.  
"...Ross?"

  
No, he was gone.  
Ugh... of course he was already looking for more. Whatever.

  
You'd wait.

\--

Ross knew you were uncomfortable wearing fancy clothes like that. That wasn't your style.  
So, he'd stepped out to call a friend. You had four days until the gala. That meant you had time. And Ross, well, Ross had connections. He knew someone who could get you something you wouldn't feel uncomfortable with. He simply needed to schedule a fitting.

Once he had, he headed back.

"Alright, so actually, fuck those outfits. I know you hate them. I hate them, so much. So just put them back on the hangers. We're gonna blow everyone at that gala away."

\--

You were skeptical of the fitting, but when the finished product was presented to you the day of the gala, you just gaped at it. You weren't sure what to say. It was... gorgeous.

You couldn't believe your eyes. Ross really had known exactly what you wanted. You thanked him at least a billion times before going home with it to get ready.

Looking in the mirror, you felt like a fucking icon. You couldn't believe it was actually you that you were looking at. You never thought you'd be able to look at yourself and think you were looking absolutely perfect. But here you were.

Hot diggity damn.

You looked at your phone. There was supposed to be a car here to get you in about 10 minutes. What the hell did you do with the extra ten minutes? Well, you could come up with a valid reason why you couldn't wear something more traditional to an affair like this. Membrane himself would probably just be in a simple black tux. You wondered what his assistant was going to look like.

\--

Elizabeth Ito. She more commonly went by Liz, but tonight, everyone around would address her as Elizabeth. She had shrugged off the idea of a dress, and worn a fitted tux. And damn, she was looking fine as hell. It was red, definitely not traditional by any means, and she didn't mind. She didn't want to be a traditional robotics engineer, after all. She wanted to break people's preconceived notions about what a tiny, femme robotics engineer should look like. She had red lips that Dr. Frank-n-Furter himself would be jealous of, and she was wearing heels to go along with it. Not to look taller, but because she'd gotten red heels a few months ago that she did not have an excuse to wear until just now. Red was an odd choice, considering her blue-and-white hair, but she loved it. Fire and ice kinda deal... She looked around at the small crowd in the room, and sighed, before she looked up at her boss. Ah, Membrane. He'd taken her in as an assistant when one of her experiments failed and nearly blew up her apartment. He was happy to see a young girl interested in the sciences, and agreed to help her gain some insight, while also paying her to work. 

"Membrane, dude."  
Liz sighed.  
"Hate to break it to ya, but... this event kinda blows. I've had like three old guys ask why I'm not in a 'cute dress'. Can't they just mind their damn business?"

"No, they can't, it seems. I think you look rather nice tonight, Liz." He smiled at her. She was like... a younger sister to him, almost. Not nearly a child to him, but he was still protective of the girl. After all - she was a young scientific mind! She had to be protected.

"Thanks. You're looking basic as fuck." Liz motioned to his all-black outfit while taking a long swig of...

...wine? There were several things wrong with this, of course. Firstly, you don't chug wine like it's the apocalypse and the wine is a glass of water. Secondly-

"Yes, yes. You shouldn't be drinking. Aren't you only 19?" He smirked.

"Yeah, and? I need this, you need this, and your date-"

He cut her off right away.

"They are my date, and they'll be perfectly fine without alcohol, I'm sure."

"Yeah, sure. The person you are hopelessly into just casually accepted your really weird request that they attend a gala with you. It is a fucking weird request Membrane, I'll believe it when I see them."  
She took another sip and Membrane snatched the glass away, grumbling. Yeah. She was a _really annoying _little sister. 

\--

You arrived and were immediately taken aback by the large crowd. Great...

You did spot Membrane though, talking to someone, with the girl who was presumably his assistant standing beside him, looking completely bored with the conversation. You felt for the girl, you really did. Tonight was going to be boring, and annoying, and probably a waste of your time. Why'd you even agree to do this?! You hated going out. You had crippling social anxiety. So why would you ever-

Your downward spiral was interrupted by Professor Membrane calling out your name and waving at you. The girl beside him looked genuinely baffled to see you. Why was that? Regardless, you stepped over to them, and the woman they were talking to quietly excused herself. 

"It's nice to see you. You look..."  
Membrane didn't really have words to describe how you looked. He was stunned, but incredibly impressed. He just smiled at you, not intent on finishing his sentence, clearly.

"Yeah, you're lookin' fresh as hell, man. I really thought you were made-up by the way he described you."  
Liz motioned to Membrane, smiling, before she held out her hand.  
"Liz Ito. Nice to meet a friendly face in this sea of..."  
She looked around, grimacing.  
"...yeah. This sea."

"Ito..."  
You had to think about that for a moment. You recalled a paranormal investigation show you'd watched a few nights ago while you ate pizza off your stomach in a drunken haze. The host of that show-

"_Kei _Ito. She's the host of that, you're thinking of her. That's my sister." Liz just laughed, shaking her head.  
"Yeah, we're both family disappointments. I'm sorry if she's personally investigated a paranormal occurrence in your life."

"Oh, no, that's not why..."  
You bit your lip.  
"I'm sorry, I just binged that the other day."

"Hey, I feel that." Liz lifted her glass to you before downing the contents. You already liked her.  
"No worries, I just get that a lot. Especially from Membrane's kid."

"Dib?" You didn't think Gaz would be interested in that sort of stuff.  
"He's a good kid. Funny. With all that alien nonsense?"

Membrane chuckled at your comment, but Liz nearly choked on her drink. She suddenly looked incredibly nervous, and excused herself, heading for the corner.

Membrane sighed, shaking his head.  
"I apologize. She can be rather nervous."

"I-It's alright!" Hey, you could be nervous too. You were nervous right now, staring up at his goggles. Of course he was still wearing them. You smiled, crossing your arms.

Membrane finally found himself able to speak on your appearance, blushing ever-so-slightly.  
"You look absolutely enchanting tonight."

_Oh..._

You'd never been called _enchanting _before. 

"I'm so glad you're here with me - you have no idea."   
Membrane let out another sigh, taking one of your hands. You blushed at the sudden contact, it was unexpected, but most definitely appreciated.  
"I'm not able to stand up to some of these... ruder people. I'd risk my position as a respected scientist. Liz can't risk being rude now, as much as she wants to."

"Do you think I'm rude, then?" You raised an eyebrow, laughing, "Either way, I'm more than happy to be of service."

"Ah- well-!"  
Membrane stammered, and blushed, trying to come up with something. Anything- say anything, you idiot! 

"Calm down."  
You just smiled at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"Let's jam."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long. you know. life.


End file.
